Controller.



W. A. & F. W. MARSCHKE.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-24. 1915.

1,221,345. Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI WITNESSES:

W. A. & F; W. MARSCHKE.

CONTROLLER.

APPUCATION FILED DEC.24. 1915.

1,221,345. Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

g 39 BY Arm/m in operation, and

binding posts 25 an wxnmm A. manscnxn AND mmnnmn w.

MARSGHKE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed December 24, 1915. Serial No. 68,498.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that -we, WILLIAM Mnnsonxn and Fnnonrcn W. MARSCHKE, citizens of the United States, residing at Indiana olis, in the county of Marion and State 0 Indiana, have invented a new and useful Controller, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of our invention to provide a starter for electric motors, which shall be-simple and inexpensive, efiicient and sure will serve to make and break the circuit by a snap switch action and automatically to increase the electro-motive force impressed on the motor after the closing of the circuit; and to make the apparatus readily controllable by the operators foot so that he may have his hands free for other work.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a starter embodying our invention, showing in section the oil tank in which the switch contacts are immersed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such starter, with the oil tank partly in section and the switch. open; Fig. 3 is a detail showing the releasable connection between the rheostat rod and its lifting mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the switch taken from the same viewpoint as Fig. 2, but with the switch closed.

A suitable upright support 10 carries near its lower end an oil tank 11 in which is mounted a horizontal shaft 12 on which are fixed two movable knife blade contacts 13 and 14, which are insulated from the shaft, 12 by insulation 15. The lower ends of these knife blades 13 and 14 are movable into and out of engagement with fixed contacts 17 and 18, suitably mounted on insulation 19 within the oil tank 11 and connected by metal strips 21 and 22 to binding posts 23 and 24 at the top of the oil tank 11. The movable blades 13 (Laid 14 are provided with On one end of the shaft 12, outside the oil tank 11, is fixed a T-shaped member having an upwardly extending arm 31, a .forwardly extending 'arm 32, and a downwardly extending arm 33. The upwardly extending arm 31 is connected by a tens on spring 34 to a fixed pin 35, sultably carried in the stationary frame work, and by a tension spring 36 to the upper end of an arm 37 fixed on a shaft 38 suitably supported below the oil tank 11 and provided with a A main frame.

forwardly extending arm 39 carrying a foot piece 40 so that it can readily be operated y the operators foot. Thesprings 34 and. 36 extend in opposite directions from the arm 31, and are normally balanced in their action on such arm. The forwardly extending arm 32 of the T-shaped member carries a roller 41 which may ride on either the upper or lower surface ofa projection 42 car ried by the arm 37, so as to prevent movement of the shaft 12 save when the arm 37 is in one or the other'of its extreme positions. The arm 37 and foot lever 39 are suitably biased (Figs. 2 and 4), as by the weight of associated parts (of which more hereafter), or by a tension spring 43 connecting such lever and a fixed pin 44 suitably supported on the arm 33 of the T-shaped member is provided with an inturned flange 45 which strikes a cushion 46 mounted on the side of the oil tank 11 to take the shock when the switch is opened as hereinafter described.

When the foot lever 39 is in its normal. position, the springs 34 and 36 are both contracted and the T-shaped member is in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the switch open. When now the operator steps on the foot piece 40 and depresses the lever 39, he tends to stretch both springs 34 and 36, but before there is any material movement of the T-shaped member the upper surface of the projection 42 passes under the roller 41 and prevents such T-shaped member and the movable switch contacts from moving in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. 2 and 4), until the foot lever 39 and lever 37 have about reached their limit of movement in that same direction. By this time, the spring 36 is well tensioned, and the spring 34 is still under practically no tension. When the lever 37 reaches its limit of movement as aforesaid, the projection 42 passes out from under the roller 41, being shown just on the verge of doing so in dotted lines in a clockwise direction The downwardly extendingin Fig. 2, whereupon the restraining action shown in full lines in Fig. 2, being moved in each direction by. reason of their aforesaid bicep as this movement starts, there s a tendency to diminish the tension on both springs 34 and 36, but before there can be any materiahmovement of the shaft 12 and parts carried thereby, the under surface of and insulated from a vertically reciprocable the projection 142' passes-overthe roller 41 and effectually locks the shaft 12 and itsassociated parts from movement until'the arm 37 practically reaches its limit of movement in a clockwise direction (Figs. 2 and 4).

.When the arm137 does reach its limit of movement in such clockwise direction, the projection 42 passes ofl the roller 41, belng shown on the verge of doing. so in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and this releases the shaft 12 and parts carried thereby. At thls point, the spring 36 is practically stantially full extension, so that when the releasing action takes place the spring 34 contracts to throw the shaft 12 and parts carried thereb in a clockwise directlon (Figs. 2 and 4 to open the switch with a pressed outward into engagement with the oontact'52 and the series of contacts 51. The cross-connecting bar 53 1s carried by rod 55, which also carries a laminated contact piece 56. which when the cross-connecting bar 53 is in engagement with-the lowercontacts 57f and 58 carried by two stationary most contact 51 interconnects the insulation Y and connected'to such lowermost contact 51 and to the contact 52 respectively. On the lower endoithe. reciprocable rod 55 is the is p v n darm turning y a screw 61 a J which projects' into a longitudinal slot in the "'j 'rod 5'5. -;The-up "li zpi'ovi edwith a circum erential '64 carried collar- 66-freely piston of'a dash pot 60, which'retards downward. movement ofthe rod 55 while ermitting a'free upward movement thereo in'the usuali manner (ii-such dash pots. The rod 55 r end of the vreci rocable shoulder 63"-'which maybe engaged by teeth flat springs '65 which join a h slidable on therod 55 and a yoke" 67 earned by a lever 68 pivoted on.a

fixed 'in 69near the top of the main frame 10 i oams- 70;

hesplrings 65-are'also provided with w 'ch when the'yoke '67 is moved ippward engage a 'camming member 71 fixed m pro er position on the mainframe 10 and spree the s r ngs" 65 apart so as' to disen gagethe toot 64 from the shoulder 63. The

lever 74, and a fully contracted, a whereas the spring 34 remains under subnances wise direction spring 72, but

link 75 of adjustable length to a rearwardly extending arm79. from the arm 37, so that as the foot lever 39 is depressed to move the arm .37 from full to the lever 68 is suitably biased'in a counterclock- (Fig. 1) as by a tension is connected'by a link 73, .a I.

dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2 the of the motor to be controlled. The other connected by a I rush of the armature is wire 86 to a bindin post 87 on the contact 52. The other termmal of the field windings 84 is connected by a wire 88 to a binding post 89 on the insulation" 50. The binding post 89 is connected by a wire 90 to the lowermost of the contacts 51, and "by a wire 91 to the binding post 25. A variable resistance 92 has its ends connected to the uppermost and lowermost of the contacts 51 and intermediate points along it connected to the intermediate contacts 51.

When the operator de resses the foot lever 39, he moves the arm 3 from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to ,the full line position shown in Fig. 4, and at the same time moves the lever 68 and the reciproca'ble rod 55 and associated parts from the full line member 71 and 1 cams- 70 cause the teeth 64 tobe disengaged from the shoulder 63, thus disconnecting the reciprocable rod 55 from the lever downwar under the action of gravity and retarded-bythe dash pct 60.. As the reciprocable rod 55 moves downward, it comes successively into engagement with the contacts 51, thus cutting out the sections of the resistance 92 and progressively increasing .on such armature from that of the mams 82'. At about the same time 68 andallowing such rod to start the electro-motive force im ressed on thearmature 85, but doing so su ciently slowly to allow the-motor to gain in speed sufiiclentlyto develop a counter electro-motive force sufficient to prevent too great 0. ourrent through the armature. When the crossconnecting bar 53 reaches the lowermost contact 51, the laminated contact 56 interconnects the contacts 57 and 58, and as the whole resistance 92 is now out out the full electro-motive force of themains 82 is impressed on the armature 85.

When it is now desired to stop the motor, the operator releases the foot lever 39, allowing the parts to return to their normal position and the switch to open, and causing the teeth 64 again to engage the shoulder 63 to reconnect the reciprocable rod 55 and lever 68 for the next starting operation.

..We claim as our invention:

1. A starter for electric motors, comprising the combination of a switch, a reciprocable member for varying the impressed electro-motive force, said reciprocable memberbeing biased in a direction to increase said impressed electro-motive force, a releasable mechanical connection between said switch and said reciprocable member for moving said reciprocable member against 2 its bias as said switch is moved from open to closed position, and means for releasing said mechanical connection upon the closing of the switch so as to permit said reciprocable member to be moved by its bias to 3 increase said impressed electro-motive force.

2. A starter for electric motors, comprising the combination of a switch, a reciprocable member for varying the impressed electro-motive force, said reciprocable member being biased in a direction to increase said impressed electro-motive force, a releasable mechanical connection between said switch and said reciprocable member for moving said reciprocable member against its bias as said switch is moved from open to closed position, means for releasing said mechanical connection upon the closing of the switch so as to permit said reciprocable member to be moved by its bias to increase 4 said impressed electro-motive force, and

" ing the means for retarding the movement of said reciprocable member in the direction in which it is biased.

3. A starter for electric motors, compriscombination of a switch, a reci rocable rod biased in one direction, retar ing means for retarding the movement of said rod in the direction in which it isbiased means controlled by the position of said rod for varying the impressed electro-motive '60, said rod against said rod being provided with a shoulder, a member movable as the switch is opened and closed and provided with a tooth for engaging said shoulder to move its bias as the switch is closed, and cammin means for disengaging said tooth from sai shoulder upon the clos ing of said switch.

force,

and closed and provided with a tooth for engaging said shoulder to move said rod against its bias as the switch is closed, and

camming means for disengaging said tooth from said shoulder upon the closing of said switch.

5. A starter for electric motors, comprismg a switch, operating mechanism for producing a snap opening and closing of said switch, a reciprocable rod biased in one direction, means for retarding the movement of said rod in the direction in which it is biased, means controlled by the position of said reciprocable rod for controlling the impressed electro-motive force and producing maximum impressed electro-motive force when said rod is at its limit of movement in the direc tion in which it is biased, said rod being provided vwith a shoulder, a member connected with the operating mechanism for said switch and provided with a tooth for engaging said shoulder, said tooth and shoulder cooperating to move said rod against its bias as said switch-operating mechanism when said rod is at its limit of movement in the direction in which it is 'biased,'said rod being provided with a shoulder, a member connected with the operating mechanism for said switch nd provided with a tooth for engaging sai shoulder, said tooth and shoulmeans controlled by the position of der cooperatlng to move said rod against its bias as said switch-operating mechanism is moved to produce closing of the switch, and camming means for disengaging said tooth from said shoulder when said switchoperating mechanism reaches the position in which it causes the switch to snap closed.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at' Indianapolis, Indiana, this 21st day of December, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and fifteen.

' WILLIAM A. MARSCHKE.

FRIEDRICH W. MARSCHKE. 

